Days Go By
by SiriusMarauderFan
Summary: Random drabbles I write for challenges. Currently: Remus applies to be a nanny.
1. Try

**Author's Note:** Written for…

Next Gen Competition. _Prompt:_ Teddy becomes a father!

 **Try**

Teddy wandered aimlessly around the new nursery, admiring his wife's decorating skills and running his hands of the cot rails. It was strange to think all of this was for his baby.

He'd spent years babysitting for Vicky's extended family. He'd looked after practically every Weasley child and one point or another and had become a favorite babysitter of every one of them.

It should've been easy to picture himself becoming a father, but for the last few months it had seemed as impossible as meeting the founders.

How could he, a twenty-year-old with electric blue hair and still in Ministry training, be a father? Vicky was great with kids, had a job, acted like an adult. She would be a great mum. Teddy hadn't had parents. Andromeda was his grandmother; the Potters were his aunt and uncle. They had all loved him and cared for him, but it had been very clear that neither were his parents.

"You're going to be fine, you know," Victoire said, creeping up behind him. "You're going to be a great daddy."

Teddy smiled and kissed her and made a vague scoffing noise when she repeated herself.

"I'll try to be good," he told her, and that was all he _could_ do. Try.


	2. Snails

**Author's Note:** Written for…

Ludo Game Challenge. _Prompt:_ snail

 **Snail**

Sirius had learned from an early age that friendship was not an easy thing to come by, at least not in his home. He had once had Regulus to spend his days with, but it quickly became clear that their mother would rather Regulus not be corrupted by his rebellious brother.

It was rare that Sirius got to be around his cousins or other children his age, so he took to playing in the back garden with the snails.

There were more snails in the Black house than Blacks, and Sirius liked it that way. Snails were interesting and weird-looking, and they couldn't yell at you or call you names.

Best of all, if you put a bucketful of snails in your parents' bed, your mum made the funniest screams.


	3. Boring

**Author's Note:** Written for…

Ludo Game Challenge. _Prompts:_ lost in the forest!AU, darkness, worms

 **Boring**

He hadn't meant to get lost.

It was all Bellatrix's fault, really. She was the one who had first told Sirius about the forest and how herds of unicorns lived there.

He hadn't come for the unicorns, of course, because only girls liked unicorns. But Professor Milton had been talking about centaurs and said that a bunch of them lived on the grounds too, and that was when Sirius knew he had to see for himself. And maybe if he showed he had the courage to go and look for wild animals, his parents wouldn't be so upset with him for getting put in Gryffindor.

Class was boring anyway, he decided. Surely no one would notice if he skipped out on Herbology and went for a little walk near the forest edge…

The problem quickly became evident – centaurs didn't come to the edge of the forest. Neither did unicorns, or werewolves, or any other creatures that lived in the forest, so Sirius had to go further.

He wasn't sure at what point exactly he'd gotten lost, but eventually he found himself deep in the woods, surrounded by darkness, and he only had mud and worms to show for his effort.

He thought of going back. Class must have ended long ago and he might've made it back in time for dinner, except he couldn't remember which way the castle was.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" Professor McGonagall said when she found him sitting on a tree stump an hour later.

"Yeah," he said, staying close behind her as they turned back. "You should warn people, the forest is _really_ boring."


	4. Bittersweet

**Author's Note:** Written for…

Next Gen Competition. _Prompt:_ Lucy graduates

 **Bittersweet**

There was something utterly nerve-wracking about knowing you would never take another test for the rest of your life.

Lucy had spent years doing the bare minimum on exams, just squeaking by compared to her sister's three Outstandings on her NEWTS. Lucy knew what she wanted to do with her life, and school hadn't helped her with that at all.

Seventh year had been a joke in a lot of ways. Her friends, Lily, Hugo, everyone was worried about exams and stressing about making a mark on the school. Lucy, on the other hand, spent the majority of the year reading muggle teen romance novels and writing for the school newspaper in preparation for the job she'd already secured at the Daily Prophet.

The whole year had been leading up to the day when she would finally board the train and leave Hogwarts for the last time. She had talked about this day – celebrated it, bragged about it – but now that it had come, she wasn't as excited as she had been.

It wasn't until she was already situated in a carriage with her cousins, heading for the train station, that it dawned on her as she watched Hogwarts fade from view. There would be no more group meals or late night study sessions in her dorm. She had a job waiting for her, but there were no more schedules or time tables. She was in charge of what she did with her life, and as exciting as that was, it was the scariest thing she ever encountered.


	5. Collecting

**Author's Note:** This kinda goes along with my Dangerous Beauty series, in case you enjoy how I portray Scabior here.

Written for…

Ludo Game Challenge. _Prompts:_ Scabior, spinning top

 **Collecting**

Detention just wasn't the same without James. Sirius knew this because almost every one of his detentions from his first two years at school had been shared with his best friend. At least with James they could goof off and plot. Remus would actually do the chore they'd been assigned or maybe read a book, and Peter would just whine the whole time. However Sirius would have even preferred serving time with them than being alone.

He'd been the only one ushered to the abandoned classroom with the express purpose of spending the next hour cleaning windows and polishing old desks until the caretaker deemed his work good enough. Naturally, Sirius had no intention of doing anything that had been asked of him.

The boy was already in the classroom when Sirius was shoved inside. He didn't notice the first-year right away; he was tucked in the tight space between a desk and the wall, spinning what appeared to be a little toy. Sirius recognized him from the sorting a few months before – a Slytherin – and his sister was in Sirius' classes.

"You're Seraphim, right?" Sirius asked, squeezing himself in beside the boy. At least he had someone to talk to, and first-year Slytherins weren't as terrible as their older counterparts.

The boy wrinkled his nose at the name. "Scabior."

"Scabior," Sirius corrected himself. "I'm Sirius. What's that you've got there?"

"It's a spinning top. It's a … a muggle toy." He was watching Sirius intently, waiting for a reaction. Sirius smiled.

"You're interested in muggles?" The boy gave a tentative nod. "That's awesome!"

Sirius reached into his pocket and pulled out a small cylinder Remus had accidentally packed in his trunk and subsequently passed off on Sirius as a muggle souvenir. Now he gave it to Scabior, who held it in his open hand, staring at it reverently.

"It's a battery," Sirius explained. "It … powers things, I think. Like muggle magic, I guess."

Scabior grinned, turning the battery over in his hands for a moment. Eventually he opened up enough to show Sirius a shoebox full of muggle things he had hidden in the classroom.

It was in that small space that the caretaker found them an hour later, taking turns playing with the spinning top and marbles.


	6. Road Trip!

**Author's Note:** I have no excuse for this story. I don't even GPS was invented until Harry was fifteen or something.

Written for…

Ludo Game Challenge. _Prompts:_ broken GPS, truck stop, bad directions

 **Road Trip!**

Sometimes in life you make bad choices. Sometimes they're excusable and sometimes they're not, but sooner or later you need to accept your unfortunate decision, especially if it meant becoming friends with the two biggest idiots Hogwarts would ever know.

Remus mulled this over as he hummed along to the song on the radio, trying to drown out the sound of said friends arguing over a map in the backseat of James' new car. It had been a graduation present from his parents, same as Sirius' motorbike. Too bad Remus was the only one with a driver's license.

"I'm telling you, we missed the turn a mile back," James said, turning the map around in his hands. "Turn around, Moony. We're going to be late picking up Lily."

"No, don't," Sirius ordered. "We're fine. The turn's coming up."

Remus rolled his eyes. "Both of you shut up. There's a rest stop up ahead. We can get directions to Cokeworth there."

"But we have a map."

"Yes, and a broken GPS. Right now neither of them are doing us any good. And since I'm the driver, we'll be doing as I say."

The boys in the back seat ceased their arguments momentarily to appreciate the fact that they had a level-headed friend like Remus to keep them on track. They returned to bickering a moment later – about what to play on the radio.


	7. Possessed

**Author's Note:** Written for…

The Most Horrible Competition Ever. _Prompts:_ a haunted motorcycle, someone gets a tattoo, Gideon Prewett

 **Possessed**

Fabian knew there was something wrong with his brother. It was a hard thing to admit. His loyalty had always been to Gideon before anyone else, even their sister. But he had to admit that Gideon was acting strange these days.

It started just under a month before, Gideon's seventeenth birthday. They'd had quite the bash for the youngest Prewett, and Fabian had given him the thing Gideon had wanted his whole life: a motorcycle. It had taken quite a lot of begging and bartering. The original owner, an elderly witch, had demanded five hundred galleons for the bike. Fabian managed talk her down to one hundred.

Gideon had loved his gift. He spent the second half of the party riding it up and down the street and giving all the pretty girls rides. Fabian noticed the changes a week later.

They'd gone out to lunch at their favorite muggle pizzeria and Gideon ordered olives on his pizza, even though he couldn't stand them.

"My tastes have changed, so what?" he said when his brother questioned him about it. Fabian decided to let it go.

Three days later, Gideon took a job stocking shelves in Eeylop's instead of heading into Broomstick Regulations like he'd always planned on. Two weeks after the birthday party, Gideon showed up at the dinner table with a mermaid tattooed on his arm, and ' _Daisy_ ' written beneath.

"Who's Daisy?" their mum had asked. He shrugged it off.

Gideon spent every spare moment with the motorcycle. Polishing it, tinkering with it, putting wards on it.

It was then that Fabian got a hint of what was wrong. It all started with the motorcycle, and it would explain why the old lady was willing to take so little money for it. It was cursed, or haunted. Something about it had changed his brother.

It wasn't hard to get passed his brother's warding. Fabian waited until Gideon had gone to work, then let himself into the shed where he'd been keeping the bike. When he was sure the wards were off the bike, he tried to destroy it. For an hour he threw curse after curse at the vehicle, but still it stood untarnished.

Finally he apparated it to the only person he could think of to take it off his hands.

"You're sure about this?" Sirius asked, running a hand over the sleek metal of the bike.

"If you can handle it, it's yours."


	8. Promise

**Author's Note:** Written for…

Musical Chairs Competition II. Prompt: Harry/Andromeda

 **Promise**

The moment she learned of Ted's death, Andromeda swore to herself she would never love anyone else for the rest of her life. Not that she had to worry about jinxing away potential suitors. Rearing Nymphadora had left her with more grey hair than she cared to admit, and she certainly wasn't as physically attractive as she'd been in her youth.

The grief and pain were buried for a while in the chaos of war and taking care of an infant, and eventually faded away completely. By the time Teddy was two, Andromeda had reached a content little life. There was no way she could have imagined herself developing a crush, never mind that it was on a boy half her age!

It had taken some time to get used to having Harry around all the time, but the boy had made it very clear that there would be no way around it. He would be a part of his godson's life, even if he drove Andromeda crazy in the process. Despite her immediate apprehension, she soon learned to appreciate his calming presence. The old house never felt lonely when he was around.

It surprised her the day she realized she considered the boy a friend, someone whom she enjoyed spending time with even when Teddy wasn't around. And, yes, maybe it helped a little that he was attractive, but he was only a child then.

"He's still a child," she reminded herself. Four years had passed since she'd met Harry, but he still seemed so _young_.

"Did you say something, Andi?" the boy in question asked. He was on the other side of the room, picking up Teddy's toys.

"Oh, um. Nothing."

She hadn't meant to say anything. She hadn't meant to feel anything either, but she'd failed on that front as well. And here she was, secretly admiring the tightness of Harry's shirt and the way it complemented the color of his eyes.

' _I am not falling for Teddy's godfather. I do not have a crush on Harry bloody Potter like some silly schoolgirl!'_

Andromeda sighed to herself as she got ready for bed that night, and her eyes guiltily drifted to the photo of Ted that sat on her nightstand.

"I'm sorry, Edward," she whispered, caressing the photo softly. "I've broken my promise. I've … I'm being silly, I know. But don't worry, love, nothing will come of it. Merlin. I'd rather swim naked in the Thames than tell Harry I love him."

"You love Uncle Harry?"

Andromeda cursed herself for not locking her door as she locked eyes with her grandson.

"Does that mean he's my grandpa now?"

"No, Teddy, don't-"

"Grandpa Harry!"


	9. Desire

**Author's Note:** Written for…

Musical Chairs Competition II. _Prompt:_ imagine your OTP: dating other people while angsting over each other

 **Desire**

"Are you feeling alright, Severus?" Narcissa asked, stroking her lover's hand lightly.

"Hmm? Oh, yes."

She reached out across the dinner table to touch his cheek. "I was hoping we might have some time to talk this weekend but you've seemed distracted. And you'll be gone in a few hours…"

"I have work to do, Narcissa. It's remarkable I was able to get away for even a few hours."

"I know that. I know how hard you work, honey, but this weekend hasn't been all that I was hoping for."

Severus sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face. "You're right, I'm sorry. I have been distracted, worrying about work tomorrow. I promise, I'll make it up to you next weekend."

:-:

"Miss Granger, please stay behind for a moment."

The classroom emptied quickly, no one wanting to stay longer than they had to, and Severus was left alone with the young witch in under a minute.

"Is there something I can do for you, Professor?"

Severus couldn't help but notice the way she fidgeted with the ring she wore on her left hand. It most definitely hadn't been there the last time he'd seen her.

"I'm merely curious about your choice in jewelry this afternoon," he said flatly. "It looks suspiciously expensive."

Hermione blushed, trying in vain to hide the band with her right hand. "It belonged to Ron's aunt," she said quietly.

"So, I presume you had an eventful weekend?"

They said nothing for a long moment as they stared into each other's eyes.

"I had no choice."

"There is always a choice," he hissed angrily.

"What did you want me to say, Severus? That I'm love with another man?" There were tears in her eyes, and he suddenly felt guilty for being the cause of her sadness. "Ron planned a beautiful evening for us and then he proposed and I … what did you want me to say?"

Severus closed his eyes, trying not to imagine the lovesick redhead on bended knee.

"I love you," he whispered, like it pained him to say it.

Hermione closed the distance between them, taking his hands in hers. He pulled away almost immediately, unable to stand the feel of the cold metal ring against his skin.

"Severus, we can't do this anymore. We've been playing this game for a year now and it's not going anywhere. I owe Ron so much, and you seem to be content with Draco's mum."

"I would leave her in a heartbeat." Oh, the things he was willing to do for the woman standing before him. Why had he been so insistent on keeping her at arm's length this whole time?

"It's taken you a year to tell me how you feel," she continued. "I suspected, of course, but I couldn't do anything until I knew. And now you tell me, when I've promised myself to Ron."

"It's not too late."

"It is. If I go and call it off, they'll think I had an affair, and that's not what this is. I have so much respect for you, Severus, and I love you. I have enjoyed this past year, talking with you. I wish it could have been more. But honestly, we never really had a chance."

Minutes ticked by in silence with neither of them sure what to say. Perhaps he would have argued if he didn't know her so well to see that her mind wouldn't be changed.

Eventually she went back to her desk to retrieve her book back. She smiled softly as she headed for the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Professor."

 **A/N:**

I never got a chance to fit in that this took place when Hermione returned for her seventh year, so she's well over eighteen at this point.


	10. Incompatible

**Author's Note:** Written for...

Musical Chairs Competition II. Prompt: imagine your OTP, person A's pet kills person B's pet.

 **Incompatible**

"Severus, why do you have twenty-eight books on your nightstand? I thought we agreed to keep the books in the den."

"Those are the latest potion essays and research into the magical properties of dragon scales. I read them before bed; they help me sleep."

Hermione shook her head. "Fine. But only one at a time. I'd prefer our bedroom not become as cluttered as your lab."

She headed for the stairs to continue unpacking the bedroom when she spotted a long, thick black snake lying on the bottom step.

"Severus!"

The professor came running, sliding to a stop beside her.

"I told you to keep Theobard in his terrarium. If you insist on keeping a snake in the house, I'd rather eliminate the chances of accidentally stepping on him in the middle of the night."

Severus frowned. "Strange. He's never broken out before." He knelt by the snake. "It's dead."

"What?"

"He's not moving and..." Severus picked up the limp snake and cradled it in his hands. "There are puncture wounds, do you see? Right here."

"Oh, no, Severus. I'm so sorry."

"You ought to be," he snarled, hugging the creature to his chest. "Your monstrous cat murdered him!"

"Crookshanks would never lay a paw where it didn't belong. And how would he even get to your precious pet?"

Severus stomped passed his girlfriend toward his new office, where he'd set up Theobard's terrarium. Hermione followed him with a huff.

The office, finally furnished just an hour ago, was now in disarray. The terrarium had been broken in by a fallen statuette from a high shelf. Glass covered the floor.

"It was just an accident," Hermione said.

"That explains the escape, but not the teeth marks." He laid the corpse atop his desk and carefully moved for the shelf to investigate. "There's orange fur on this shelf."

"That's ridiculous!"

Severus held up the tuft of fur triumphantly. "Pre-meditated, it would seem."

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest, scowling. "Fine. But I'm sure he had a good reason. It probably attacked him."

"Oh, yes, a poor defenseless snake attacked that orange beast. What a fight!"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Don't be so dramatic. I'll make it up to you. We'll go to Diagon Alley this weekend and get you a new snake."

Severus mulled this over for a moment before grinning mischievously. "No, I don't think I'll get a snake this time. I think I'll see how well your little menace fairs against a dog."

"You wouldn't dare."

"For Theobard."


	11. Sisters

**Author's Note:** Written for...

Musical Chairs Competition II. _Prompt:_ AU: witch!Petunia muggle!Lily AU, NO Lily/James or Petunia/Vernon pairings

 **Sisters**

"Welcome to Hufflepuff," a boy with sandy hair greeted as Petunia sat down beside him at the house table. "What was your name? Petula?"

"Petunia," she answered, blushing. She'd always hated that name. A year hadn't gone by without someone teasing her for it at school. Why couldn't she have been Rose, or Daisy?

The boy grinned at her. "Sorry. I'm Edgar."

"Nice to meet you."

Someone a few seats down shushed them as another first year was called to the Hat. Petunia felt her stomach calming after having been in knots all day.

She had made it, _finally!_ She didn't think the day would ever come. She thought they'd boot her at the door, because surely there had to be some sort of mistake: Petunia Evans was no witch. But here she was, against all odds.

The Sorting Ceremony carried on for some time, and after a while she began to grow restless. She let her eyes wander around the room, watching the expressions on the other students' faces as they waited for new members to join their houses, and familiarizing herself with the faculty. Sherry, the witch who had brought Petunia her acceptance letter, had told her all about Headmaster Dumbledore, but it was amazing seeing him in person. It was almost like meeting a pop star, except he could do magic and that was much better than singing!

After the Ceremony, the feast began. Edgar liked to talk a lot, and that was fine with Petunia. She let him dominate the conversation and listened intently as he went on about how he'd been looking forward to school all his life, and how his sister and brother were insanely jealous that he got to go first. Petunia felt a pang at that. She reached a hand into her pocket and felt for the folded letter she had there. Lily had given it to her on the platform just before they said goodbye.

"Promise to write," the young girl had said. "And tell me all about the magic!"

Lily was even more excited than Petunia was about the revelation that she was a witch, and one of Petunia's first questions to Sherry had been whether Lily would get to go to Hogwarts too. But no, it was exceedingly rare for two magical children to be born of muggle parents. Still, Lily had been so happy for her big sister. At night they would lie together in Petunia's bed and pore over the text books she'd been assigned.

She did everything with Lily; they were the best of friends. Petunia looked up at Edgar and the other students in yellow and black. She had new friends now, a new family, and she would have to learn to live without her sister. Eventually.


	12. Valiant

**Author's Note:** Written for...

Musical Chairs Competition II. _Prompt:_ competent!Lockhart AU

 **Valiant**

"I'm afraid I've received a rather troubling letter, Gilderoy," Albus said, offering the fellow professor a candy from the dish on his desk. "It concerns one of your novels."

"It wouldn't, by any chance, be from a young woman by the name of Jeanine Hammond."

"It does. You know her?"

Lockhart smiled, taking a lime candy and popping it in his mouth. "I've encountered Miss Hammond a few times, yes. She's a troubled young girl; a chronic liar, it would seem. Every time I release a new novel, she goes to the authorities or the newspaper, claiming I've stolen the tales from her. As if I am so hard-pressed for money that I must fabricate the stories."

Albus chuckled softly. "I do apologize for bringing this up, especially at such a difficult time, but it would be irresponsible of me to not look into these claims."

"Of course, Headmaster. I understand completely."

"Albus!" The door burst open and McGonagall rushed in. "Ginny Weasley is missing!"

:-:

"Where it is, Ron?" Harry shouted above the sound of rushing water. He was hidden deep in the maze of pipes. The last he'd seen of Ron, the redhead had climbed atop the giant stone head of Salazar Slytherin and was playing look-out for the basilisk.

"I can't see him! He must've gone in after you!" Ron paused, listening to the sound of old bones being trampled. "Hold on, I think it's gone back to the entrance."

"Fear not, it's only me, Gilderoy Lockhart, come to save you all!" The professor rushed into the Chamber with a flourish, brandishing his freshly-polished wand. "Where is the beast?"

Ron pointed mutely to the tunnels where Harry hid. Lockhart whipped a monogramed handkerchief from his pocket and tied it into a blindfold. He ran into the tunnels with a piercing battle cry.

"Hurry, Professor!" Harry shouted. He could hear the heavy breathing of the basilisk as it drew closer to him, and he was at a dead end.

Navigating by sound alone, Lockhart made his way to the boy's hiding spot just in time. With the snake bearing down upon them, Lockhart raised his wand and shot a severing charm at the creature, cutting it in half.

"We have to hurry, sir. I have to destroy the journal before Riddle kills Ginny," Harry summarized as Lockhart untied his blindfold.

"Understood, my boy. Allow me." With his handkerchief still in hand, Lockhart ripped a tooth from the lifeless jaw of the beast and ran at breakneck speed back to the main Chamber with Harry right behind him.

"Never do yourself what magic can do just as well," he advised solemnly. He levitated the tooth, careful to keep it an arm's length away from his body, and swept it across the Chamber, dropping it directly over the discarded journal. It fell, point-down, stabbing it and effectively killing Riddle once and for all.

"And that, boys, is how you deal with monsters. You know, this might make a good book. 'Battles _with Basilisks'_ perhaps."


	13. Creep

**Author's** **Note** : Written for…

Musical Chairs Competition III. _Prompt_ : "Creep" by Radiohead

 **Creep**

He'd made a mistake. Albeit a huge mistake, but a mistake nonetheless.

It was a slip of the tongue; a word he'd heard a thousand times thrown around casually in the common room. He never meant to say it, let alone yell it to her face.

But what's done was done, and Lily was gone forever.

Severus had tried futilely to apologize but she would have none of that. He'd have to denounce everything he'd worked for in Slytherin. Without the friends he made, he would be nothing to them. The bullying from Potter and his friends would be nothing compared to what Lucius could do.

"You're such an idiot, Severus," he muttered to himself as he watched her from across the grounds. "As if you ever had a chance with her anyway."

They had been friends for years, but friendship didn't always amount to something more. She was an angel, and he was a weirdo with perpetually greasy hair and a crooked nose.

Maybe one day she would notice him, if he managed to be something better than he was, but what was the chance of that? He was just going to have to settle for being a Slytherin creep and let her go.


	14. Narcissus

**Author's Note:** Written for…

The Weird Prompt Thing Daily Competition. _Prompt_ : male!Narcissa

 **Narcissus**

"Lucius is a complete arse and I never want to see him again!"

Narcissus Black looked up from his book and quirked a brow at his eldest sister, who stood fuming in the doorway of his bedroom.

"What's he done now?"

"He's cheating on me!" Bellatrix screeched, causing Narcissus to flinch.

Slowly, he marked his page and returned his piercing gaze on her.

"Are you certain? Last month you were convinced he was going to propose, and that didn't go anywhere."

"Oh, I'm sure alright. He's been canceling all of our dates, and last night Veronica Welling spotted him all dressed up at Tallulah's Tavern. You know you have to make reservations _weeks_ in advance."

Narcissus leaned forward in his chair slightly. "Did Veronica see him with anyone?"

"No!" Bella growled. "He was being seated just as she was leaving, but the little hussy couldn't have been far behind."

"There could be a reasonable explanation, you know. Maybe he was meeting a relative, or a colleague."

"I've thought of that, but why didn't he just tell me? He said he was feeling ill yesterday." She began pacing angrily.

Narcissus hummed thoughtfully as he reclined once more. "Perhaps you should just confront him then, if you're so sure."

Bellatrix halted her pacing and knelt at her brother's feet. "I can't, Narci. Mum made it clear that I need to make this arrangement with Lucius work."

"Call it for what it is, Bellatrix. It's been more than a simple arrangement for months now."

"Fine. I like him, alright? And the idea that he's cheating on me, when we're supposed to be working toward a wedding…"

"I'm not sure why you're telling me all this. Ranting is one thing, but you seem to want to do more than that. If confronting Malfoy isn't an option, then what?"

"I need your help. If I make any attempt at hiring someone to watch Lucius, Mum will know. But you can do it for me – follow him, I mean. Spy on Lucius. You and he share friends, you attend the same functions. It would be easy for you to keep an eye on him."

Narcissus pursed his lips and turned away from her.

"I don't want to do this. Please don't ask it of me."

"I'm sorry, Narci, but I need you. "

:-:

It wasn't difficult to find Bellatrix's beloved that evening. There were very few blondes in the Society of Wizards of which they were both members, but even fewer with as much hair as Lucius.

Narcissus kept his eyes trained on the shining mane from across the room for hours, watching as Lucius mingled with upper class wizards of all ages. And when the he went into the restroom, Narcissus followed.

He found Lucius just inside the door, leaning against the wall with his arms cross and a smirk on his face.

"I thought we'd never be alone."

Lucius reached out for him, catching the hem of Narcissus' robes, and pulled him closer.

"Lucius, stop," the younger man ordered, calmly removing the hand from his clothes. "We need to talk."

"All I've been doing this evening is talking. I was hoping we might do something else…"

Narcissus felt himself blushing, but persisted. "This is important. Bellatrix believes you're cheating on her. One of her friends saw you at Tallulah's last night."

Lucius frowned, turning serious in an instant. "Did she see you?"

"No."

"Does she suspect you?"

"I don't think so. She seems to be under the impression that you're seeing a woman."

Lucius nodded, sighing. "Perhaps it's time we came clean with everyone."

Narcissus looked horrified, backing away from his lover. "No, we can't."

"Why not? I can't keep up this game with Bella much longer. I know she's expecting a ring soon, but I just can't imagine what my life would be, constantly having to pretend to care for her." Lucius bridged the gap between them and took Narcissus' hands. "My love, it's you I want to marry."

Narcissus shook his head sadly. "I can't, you know that. You don't have a family forcing their opinions on you, but my father would have my head if he knew I loved you. Someone has to carry on the family name, and Merlin knows Sirius is a lost cause."

"There's always Regulus?"

"He's still a child. It's far too early to tell how successful he'll be."

Lucius' frown deepened, and he stroked Narcissus' pale cheek softly. "Fine. We'll carry on as we are for now, just a bit more careful. But make no mistake, I have every intention of making you my husband."


	15. Uncertainty

**Author's Note:** Written for...

Daily Weird Prompt Thing. _Prompt:_ female!Ron, Ginny-never-existed!AU

 **Uncertainty**

"My mother is going to kill me when she finds out about you. Or maybe not. You are pure," Draco pondered, staring at the roof of his canopy bed as fingers ran through his hair.

"Blood traitor," the girl reminded him gently. She placed a hand on his chin and pushed until he was facing her again. He started playing with the short ginger braid hanging over her shoulder. "I thought you said we definitely were never going to tell anyone about us."

"I'm looking ahead, thinking of our future. Girls usually like that sort of thing."

She tugged her hair from his grasp and rolled out of bed. "I'm not like most girls."

Draco propped himself up on his elbow and watched his lover dress quickly, pulling on faded jeans and an oversized Cannons jersey.

"The Cannons suck." He couldn't help but laugh at the disgusted look on her face, even as shoe came sailing toward his head.

"See, this is why it took you seven years to get me to go out with you. You're a git."

"I thought it had more to do with your Slytherin prejudice."

She arched one red eyebrow. "Oh, _I'm_ the prejudiced one?"

"I've gotten over my preconceptions. Meanwhile I practically had to drag you into the common room last night."

"How did you manage to clear out your dorm for us?" she wondered, motioning to the four suspiciously empty beds.

Draco shrugged, leaning against the headboard. "I gave Theo and Blaise a few galleons to keep quiet, and told Crabbe and Goyle to get lost for the night. Quite easy. We should do it again soon." He thought for a split second he saw something like fear flash in her baby blue eyes.

"Draco, this has been nice. Last night was ... incredible. But I just don't think..."

"Is this about the Cannons comment? Because you can't deny that they're performing less than spectacularly."

"This is about you and me and how we're completely different and there's really no way we'll ever last. And also, our families hate each other."

"First off, I don't care what my family thinks about you. What I said earlier about my mum was mostly a joke. Second, we can make this work if we really want to; if we actually try."

She let out a frustrated sigh, glancing at the clock on his nightstand. "I need to go. I'm going to be late for class."

Draco rolled off the bed and rushed to the door, effectively blocking her from leaving his dorm. "Since when do you care about getting to class on time?"

"Since NEWTs are coming up, and Hermione's going to demand a twenty-minute explanation of why I wasn't in our dorm last night."

Draco frowned, slipping closer to her. He wrapped his arms around her waist loosely, giving her a chance to pull away if she really wanted to. She didn't.

"Muriel Molly Weasley, I have been infuriated with you and infatuated by you for seven years. In the past year alone, I have learned so much about you, from your horrible taste in Quidditch teams to the way your ears redden when you're embarrassed."

As if on cue, the tips of her ears darkened to match her hair. She ducked her head, trying to hide the smile creeping onto her face. Draco stilled her and leaned down, kissing her freckle-covered nose.

"I am in love with you," he whispered. "And I don't care who knows or what they think about it."

 **A/N:**

I couldn't decide what fem!Ron's name was going to be until the end, and I didn't want to go with Ronalda/Rona.


	16. Sing a Song of Loneliness

**Author's Note:** Written for…

Assignment #7. _Lesson_ : Charms. _Task_ : Write a story that takes place directly after the battle of Hogwarts. _Prompts_ : Great Hall, shattered statues, Minerva McGonagall

Library Lovers. Lost Voices. _Prompts:_ Sing, battlefield, "If there are no people left alive, then I'll never have to love one of them again."

Writing Club. _Prompt:_ Write a fic where a radio features (as more than a quick mention).

 **Sing a Song of Loneliness**

"Here are the names you wanted, Minerva."

Minerva looked up from the wound she had been cleaning to take a parchment from Horace's outstretched hand.

"I'll take over helping Poppy if you want to handle ... that," he told her, motioning at the list.

She thanked him and retreated from the Great Hall, forcing herself past the wounded and grieving, over crumbling walls and shattered statues. Her heart beat faster at the sight of every cut or crack until she was finally in her office and could lean against the closed door and catch her breath, taking refuge in the silence of the upper floors. When her heart rate had returned to normal, she moved slowly to her desk and unfolded the list.

Two rows of names filled the parchment from top to bottom in Horace's messy handwriting. There was an exact number of how many names there were in the top right corner. Minerva's stomach lurched after reading it, and she immediately regretted having him take down the names of the deceased for her. She forced herself to read the list twice over because she needed to find something to do, something to keep her mind busy so it wouldn't travel back to the battlefield below.

There were few names on the list that she didn't recognize and even fewer that didn't have living relatives that needed to be notified. For those that did, Minerva decided that sooner was better. She would do what she could for those who had died defending the school ... her home. Kingsley would have to deal with whichever names were left over. She picked a name at random and winced. This was going to be doubly painful.

 _Remus Lupin_

 _Nymphadora Tonks_

With the list folded neatly in her pocket, she marched to her fireplace and - floo tracking be damned - made her way to the Tonks residence.

Minerva had expected to find a quiet, darkened house, but instead the curtains and windows were open downstairs, letting in the early morning sunlight. She shifted into her cat form and raced up the stairs. Cats were far less likely to scare people than finding someone roaming around your house. And, in Minerva's experience, they were less likely to get hexed in surprise.

She followed a few notes of music into a bedroom and hesitated at the door. Andromeda was in a chair by the window, rocking little Teddy and singing along to a soft ballad coming from the radio in the corner. Minerva recognized the song from her brief visits to her brothers' houses; it was definitely muggle music.

Andromeda spotted her after a minute but didn't stop her rocking or singing. Minerva took that to be permission to stay, and returned to her human form. She crossed the room and joined Andromeda by the window, keeping silent until the song had ended.

"A muggle radio?" she wondered softly.

"Yes. Ted couldn't part with some of his contraptions when we married, and Dora grew to love them. There hasn't been any decent music on the Wireless lately, of course. But Teddy loves music already." The infant gurgled his response and the women smiled.

They sat and listened to the radio while another song played, and when it ended Andromeda finally looked over at her. "Say what you've come to say."

Minerva finally found her throat dry and she couldn't force the words out.

"Is Nymphadora dead?"

"Yes." Andromeda looked away. "I'm so sorry. She fought bravely - they both did." When she made no motion to ask about her son-in-law's wellbeing, Minerva filled in the blank for her. "Remus also passed away. We couldn't have done this without them."

"It doesn't matter," Andromeda muttered. "They may as well have taken their son and everyone else with them."

"Andromeda, please-"

"If there are no people left alive, then I'll never have to love one of them again."

Minerva didn't have anything to say to thank. Nothing would have helped anyway. She felt the same way enough times to understand.

"If you don't mind, Professor, I'd like to be left alone with my grandson."

Minerva sighed and made her way back to the fireplace. She stayed long enough to pick a new name from the list, and then she was gone.


	17. Flying

**Author's Note:** Written for...

Writing Club. _Task:_ Write a Cheerleader!AU.

Pairing the Character. _Character:_ James

* * *

 **Flying**

 _504 words_

* * *

There was something inexplicably calming about flying. James had always had a talent for it, even before he could walk, or so said his father. Quidditch was just the next natural step to take to allow him to stay in the air as much as possible, even though he'd never had a passion for it. He couldn't deny that he had been the fastest Chaser to grace the Gryffindor team and it was only natural that he should be snatched up by a professional team straight out of school.

He never thought much of the cheerleading team beyond flirting with a couple of the girls during practices. In three years of playing for the league, he wasn't even sure he had paid much attention to their routines until Alice McElroy became captain of the Puddlemere squad. While the other teams' cheerleaders continued to do generic laps around the pitch with pennants and pom-poms, Alice had them shooting fireworks from their wands while doing leaps and flips from one broom to the next.

The team had been on a losing streak at the time, but Alice's antics kept seats filled and James' mind occupied. Chasing wasn't a challenge anymore and he was getting bored with Quidditch in general. The sport was too restricting. All he wanted to do was fly when and how he wanted without having to worry about bludgers trying to end his career.

Puddlemere lost that season, but James' mind was made up long before the finals.

He ditched going out to dinner with the team in favor of hanging around outside the girls' locker room until Alice came out and then ambushing her when she did.

"I need you to teach me to fly."

She stopped, dumbfounded. "Weren't you just on the cover of some magazine - Best Chaser, or something?"

" _Bat & Broom_'s Most Eligible Chaser. Third year in a row." He shrugged. "I can fly pretty well, but nowhere close to you. I would never even consider jumping off a broom at two hundred, but once I saw you do it I knew I had to try."

She laughed. "You're a little pudgy for a cheerleader, Potter."

"P-pudgy?" he sputtered indignantly. "This is all muscle."

"Right. So you're just going to give up being the Most Eligible Chaser because you want to break your neck in one of my routines?"

"Quidditch doesn't matter to me, it never did. I just want to _fly."_

James ran a hand through his hair anxiously while he waited for Alice's answer. She didn't seem to be in any hurry, looking over him for several long minutes. Finally she sighed and checked her watch.

"I'm late for drinks. Meet me on the pitch tomorrow at five a.m. and do not be late. I don't tolerate tardiness on my team, understand?"

"Yes, ma'am."

She shook her head as she walked away. "Just a heads up, Potter. I'm much harder to please than your old coach, and I have no intention of going easy on you."


	18. Relations

**Author's Note:** Written for...

Writing Club. _Task:_ Write a fic set in the library.

* * *

 **Relations**

 _484 words_

* * *

Anthony had never been the most conventional Ravenclaw. Terry often made fun of him for having to study so hard when his classmates recalled facts so easily. He worked hard to squeak by with acceptable grades, even if it meant spending most of his free periods alone.

By second year he was intimately familiar with the layout of the library, able to help much older students to find what they were looking for, and even bringing Madam Pince treats that his mum had sent from home.

History of Magic quickly proved to be his favorite subject, even if he was at the bottom of his class. The workload was terrifying, but the subject matter was occasionally fascinating and Anthony would occasionally find himself actually enjoying doing his homework.

The class spent the spring of his second year learning about the affect Gellert Grindelwald had on Britain during his reign. Each student was assigned a notable person who had played a part in the war to write an essay about. Anthony was certain this would be the lesson to doom him, retreating to the library to research Porpentina Scamander.

For once, Madam Pince was unable to be of much help. Normally she could find him a reference book in less than five minutes, but this assignment had stumped her. There simply weren't any books on Porpentina in the school library. The best Anthony could find were a textbook written by her husband (which Anthony had already read) and a mention of her in a book about the International Statute of Secrecy.

 _'_ _In 1965, after 175 years of prohibiting interactions between magical and non-magical beings, the Magical Congress of the United States of America repealed Rappaport's Law after being abundantly criticized by foreign officials. Such criticism was brought to the attention of the British audience when famed magizoologist Newt Scamander and wife Porpentina took to the front page of the Daily Prophet to express their outrage at the unfair treatment of those caught fraternizing with muggles. Mrs. Scamander's own sister, Queenie Goldstein, was at the time under MACUSA investigation for an ongoing relationship with muggle Jacob Kowalski. Goldstein and Kowalski were spared punishment when Rappaport's Law was repealed. The couple married later that year.'_

While none of the information mattered to his essay, one word caught Anthony's eye: Goldstein.

He remembered his grandfather Isaac telling him about their family history, about Isaac's own father who hadn't been born in England, but had moved there when he was very young. It wasn't a big stretch to imagine his great-grandfather had come from America, possibly from New York. That's where MACUSA was based, Anthony knew. He smiled, realizing he might be a distant relative of the subject of his essay. Or better yet – _the_ Newt Scamander!

And if his relatives could change a law from across the sea, certainly he could make it through one more lousy assignment.


	19. Love's Lost

**Author's Note:** Written for...

Lover's Day - OTP War. _Prompt:_ Write a sad soulmate!AU

Writing Club. _Prompt:_ Write a story with no dialogue.

* * *

 **Love's Lost**

 _377 words_

* * *

The mark came at midnight on her seventeenth birthday, as it did for every other witch and wizard. Hermione had waited up for the mark to appear, too anxious to wait until morning to see if it worked.

She was horrified the moment it happened, certain there must have been some mistake. Severus Snape was her professor, not her soulmate. To think otherwise would have been inappropriate and a complete waste of time. Even if she did think about him in that way (which she most definitely did not) there was no way he felt the same about her.

She hid the mark with a simple glamour and told anyone who asked that she hadn't received it. It was a rare phenomenon, but it did happen, especially among muggleborns.

If Snape received the matching mark, he didn't seem to care. Hermione was only able to look him in the eye once on the first day, and his sneer was enough to have her convinced that his opinion of her hadn't changed. She was still just a know-it-all.

It was a relief later, after he turned against them all, to know it was just a mistake, some cosmic mishap that put his name on her arm. It was a relief but also a burden, to know that she was forever branded by a murderer and forced to continue the glamour.

She hadn't expected his death to hurt so much but it wasn't for Severus Snape that she cared, only for the feeling of venom running through her veins as she watched him die, burning her arm from the inside out.

It was that night when Hermione found herself alone in her old dormitory, unable to sleep even though she'd been up for days. The pain was gone but, as she discovered when she let the glamour go, so was his name. It hurt more now. Now that Harry had gone in the pensieve, now that she knew the truth about her soulmate and his intentions.

They never had a chance, she realized, beginning to cry. The mark hadn't been a mistake after all, but it may as well have never come for all the good it did. Her soulmate was dead before she could ever really know him.


	20. Expectations

**Author's Note:** Written for…

Shop for a Prompt. _Prompts:_ expectations, Gryffindor common room

One a Week Competition. _Task:_ Write a 100 word single parent!AU.

* * *

 **Expectations**

 _120 words_

* * *

Godric crept through the castle as quietly as a mouse. Salazar had bet several coins that Godric wouldn't be able to keep his distance for long, and he was right.

A young girl of eleven sat by the fire of Gryffindor tower and beamed up at him as he entered.

"Are you pleased, Papa?" she asked hopefully.

He knelt beside her. "You have my bravery and your mother's heart, and exceeded all of my expectations." Godric kissed the top of her head. "Whatever house you were put in, Ophelia, I would be proud of you. And I know your mother would feel the same if she were here."

Satisfied, the girl kissed her father goodnight and hurried upstairs to bed.


	21. Snorkack

**Author's Note:** Written for...

One a Week Competition. _Task:_ Write a 200 word single parent!AU

Camp Potter 2017. _Prompt:_ Dean/Luna

* * *

 **Snorkack**

 _220 words_

* * *

"Can you watch the boys for a few minutes while I run to the store?"

Dean tried to offer to go instead but Luna was already gone. He stared at her twins, busy coloring at the coffee table, and gulped. He's been seeing Luna for months now but he'd never been left with the boys before.

At least they liked to draw, he could handle that. He approached them slowly with his sketchpad.

"Can I join you?"

One of the boys nodded – he still couldn't tell them apart. The second watched critically as Dean sat down beside him and began a quick sketch of a toy dragon.

"You're a good drawer," said the first twin, settling on Dean's other side. "Can you draw _anything_?"

"Sure. What do you want me to make?"

"A crumple-horned snorkack."

Dean sat dumbfounded for a moment. Luna had humored him with tales of the creatures she once believed in, but this was a new one.

"Okay…" He slowly drew a picture of a platypus, the strangest muggle animal he could think of, and hoped the boys had never seen one. He hastily added horns to it afterward.

"Wow! It's just like Grandad said!"

Luna stepped out of the fireplace with ice cream and the boys ran to her.

"Look, Mummy! Dean's seen a snorkack too!"


	22. Eclairs

**Author's Note:** Written for...

Connect the Weasleys. _Pair:_ Victoire x Lily _Prompt:_ return

Pick and Mix. _Characters:_ Victoire and Lily

* * *

 **Éclairs**

 _179 words_

* * *

Lily bounced excitedly in her seat, watching Victoire's plane land on the runway.

"How much longer?" she asked her mother, never taking her eyes off of the plane.

Ginny smiled at the ten-year-old. "She'll still be a few minutes."

The girl pouted, crossing her arms. She had been waiting a full year for this day, when Victoire would finally return home from her year in France, and the wait was tortuous.

They waiting with Bill and Fleur at the gate until they could see Victoire through the crowd, and then Lily was off running toward her favorite cousin.

"I missed you so much," the older girl told her as they hugged. "I had Grandmama make you a whole tin of chocolate éclairs and I saw the most wonderful ballet. I'm going to ask Aunt Ginny if I can take you to see it on your birthday."

Lily hung off her cousin's arm as they walked back to their families, listening intently to every word she said. Éclairs aside, there was nothing more she wanted than her best friend back.


	23. Qualified

**Author's Note:** Written for...

Hogwarts Assignment #7. _Lesson:_ Magical Law and Government, task 2. _Prompt:_ Write about a lycanthrope getting a job.

Duelling Club. _Prompts:_ Remus, bucket, "There's something I want to say but … I'm afraid of how you'll react."

(Writing Club) Count Your Buttons. _Prompts:_ Single parent!AU, Welcome mat, "Can we talk? In private?"

(Writing Club) Days of the Month. _Task:_ Write a story featuring all-male characters

Around the World in Eighty Days. _Prompt:_ Butterbeer

(Writing Club) Showtime. _Prompt:_ Remember

Character Showcase. _Prompt:_ Godfather

* * *

 **Qualified**

 _589 words_

* * *

"I'm here about the job ad."

Sirius let his eyes wander over the stranger standing on his welcome mat. When he had placed the ad looking for someone to watch Harry while he was at work, he had expected only women to answer and so far he'd been correct. However, there was something about the man tugging adorably on his cardigan that intrigued Sirius enough to invite him inside.

"I'm Sirius Black," he greeted, offering his hand.

"Remus Lupin. Thank you for seeing me."

"I should be thanking you. You'd be doing me a huge favor by taking on the job." Sirius led the man through to the living room, which was cluttered with toys littering every surface. "Sorry for the mess. I'm afraid I don't get to cleaning much. Can I get you a drink? I think we have some Butterbeer in the fridge."

"That would be great, thank you."

Sirius returned with their glasses after a moment to find his living room in better shape than he'd left it. He scanned the room, finding all the blocks and stuffed animals piled neatly in an electric blue bucket in the corner of the room. Remus was seated on the sofa, smiling guiltily.

"The house hasn't looked this great in years. Thank you."

Remus shrugged, accepted his drink. "It's just a simple charm."

"That's good. You'd probably have to do it multiple times a day. Harry hasn't really mastered the art of cleaning yet."

"Harry is your son?"

"Godson," Sirius corrected, smiling proudly. "My best friend and his wife died when Harry was a baby. I'm the only family he's ever known."

"That must be hard for the both of you."

"We get by. My friend Alice usually watches Harry while I'm at work, but she's decided to go back to work recently, hence the urgency of the ad." He paused to sip the Butterbeer. "Do you have any experience looking after kids?"

"A little. I babysit my friend's daughters all the time. He was the one who suggested I apply for the position."

"What did you do before you came here?"

"I stocked shelves at Flourish and Blotts, and I've been working in the Minsitry for the past few months. I spent some time on my parents' farm in Wales in between jobs."

Sirius nodded. "Just haven't found your calling yet, huh? I can understand that. If I didn't have little Harry depending on me, I might not have settled down at the Ministry."

Remus fidgeted. "There's something I want to say ... something I need to tell you, but I'm afraid of how you'll react." Sirius perked up.

"I'm listening."

"I'm a … werewolf. That's why I've had so many problems keeping a job. I don't last long once people find out what I am. I thought I should tell you now rather than have you find out later and-"

"This doesn't change anything," Sirius interrupted. "I don't judge people by what they are, Remus. I'd be no better than my family if I did. But I remember you from Hogwarts."

"You do?"

"Sure. You were always off by yourself, and you had cute cardigans…" He blushed. "The job is yours if you want it."

Remus blinked. "Really? You're going to let a werewolf near your godson?"

"As far as I can see, you're more reliable than the women who have already applied. And I would love to get to know you more."

Remus smiled for the first time since entering Sirius' home. "I'd like that, thank you."


End file.
